10 best Smartphones of 2018

All important smartphones have now launched and as we approach the tip of the year, the 10 best shakes out after a lot of extended usage of each. All 10 phones are wonderful and certain aspects create each a potential competitor for the top spot.

The top four are very costly smartphones and the worth was thought for number 5 that trumped some other features it’s missing. It is simple to seek out an excellent phone nowadays and to be honest today’s phones are so good you actually don’t ought to be replacing them on an annual basis.

1. SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 9

I have been using Galaxy Note 9 for several months and despite attempting out some nice new smartphones like the iPhone XS Max and Google pixel 3 XL, none of these can replace the Note 9 and everything Samsung includes in this gorgeous device. this is very true to be used within the enterprise space.

The Galaxy Note 9 improves upon the Note 8 with a Bluetooth S Pen, additional internal capability and RAM, an enormous 4,000 mAh battery, better dual rear cameras with some software system intelligence, increased audio capability, and new placement of the rear fingerprint scanner.

The new Bluetooth S Pen is a wonderful innovation that is guaranteed to please all Note fans with the extra remote functionality. Later this year an SDK is going to be released so that third parties can add support for the Bluetooth S Pen.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 continues to possess all of the wonderful Galaxy Foundation aspects like a high level of water resistance, quick wireless charging, a stunning Super AMOLED screen, an expandable microSD storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and much more. additionally, extending it to an external monitor with Samsung DeX is fast and simple, whereas additionally providing a full functioning desktop experience. Samsung simply released a Linux on DeX beta this week that continues to point out how capable the Galaxy Note 9 is for business.

Since it’s been out now for a couple of months, you’ll be able to find great deals on Note 9. T-Mobile sells it for $900 ($100 less than launch price) whereas a SIM-unlocked one from Samsung will only be $800 during its Black Friday sale. With a large capacity microSD card, you may actually have over 1TB in the palm of your hand.

2. HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO

Huawei recently announced the Mate 20 Pro and it brings along all of the greatness of Huawei into one device that’s powerful to beat. The Mate 20 pro includes the primary android 7nm process chipset with the Kirin 980 (Apple’s A12 Bionic additionally uses the 7nm process), 2 Neural processing Units, a fourth-generation image signal processor, and an LTE Cat.21 modem.

The triple rear camera capability from the Huawei P20 pro is delivered to the Mate 20 Pro, but in a very different central two-by-two arrangement with one modification made to 1 of the 3 lenses. The 3 rear cameras have 40MP, 20MP, and 8MP resolution with a 24MP front-facing shooter and AI to assist you to capture nice shots. The monochrome lens has been replaced with a wide-angle lens so you now have telephotograph, wide-angle, and normal camera functionality.

A large 6.39 inch OLED is on the front with cool midnight Blue, Emerald green, Black, Pink Gold, and Twilight color choices for the device. Android 9.0 Pie powers things whereas EMUI has been updated to version 9.0.

One fascinating move from Huawei is that the inclusion of a secondary storage card slot using its own new nano-memory card instead of standard microSD cards. we additionally see one of the primary fingerprint scanners embedded right into the display. Huawei is known for very long battery life and big batteries, therefore, the 4,200 mAh battery isn’t any real surprise but a lot of appreciated.

3. GOOGLE PIXEL 3 XL AND PIXEL 3

While the Galaxy Note 9 offers almost everything you wish, software system updates aren’t its specialty. If you wish an android phone which will continuously have the newest firmware and security updates, while additionally providing a reasonably stock experience, then nothing beats the new Google pixel 3 and 3 XL. These 2 smartphones are the exact same apart from the overall size and battery capacity.

The Google pixel 3 XL features a massive 6.3-inch 18:9 display, Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB and 128GB integrated storage, single rear 12.2-megapixel camera, dual front-facing cameras, IP68 dust and water resistance, a 3430 mAh battery, and dual front stereo speakers. The smaller pixel 3 features a 5.5-inch display and smaller 2,915 mAh battery whereas the remainder of the specs is identical as the XL model. Thankfully, wireless charging is included this year, besides a group of wired pixel Buds in the retail package.

The larger pixel 3 XL features a display with a notch whereas the smaller model forgoes this design approach thus often seen these days. They both assist you to shoot beautiful photos therefore if photography means a lot of to you than other functions and features you will need to think about the pixel 3 or 3 XL over other smartphones during this list.

In addition to software package being attention for Google, the camera is one more reason to buy the pixel 3 or 3 XL over different better smartphone hardware. Google simply released its Night Sight mode for the camera and it’s really magic.

The smaller pixel 3 starts at $799 whereas the pixel 3 XL starts at $899 for the 64GB model. they’re both power-driven by android 9.0 Pie and will receive OS upgrades for 3 years. Google’s newest Assistant options are present beside some other Google software package advances.

4. APPLE IPHONE XS MAX/XS

Apple pushed the entry-level worth of a flagship up to $1,000 last year with the iPhone X and raised the bar once more this year with the most expensive flagship out there in the iPhone XS max.

The Apple iPhone XS max has been shown to best all alternative smartphones in benchmarking testing and also the Apple A12 Bionic chipset definitely blazes new trails. it has a superb OLED screen, sensibly sized battery, and new camera software package to make it a really compelling flagship.

The iPhone XS max starts at $1,099 for a least storage 64GB model and runs up to $1,449 for the 512GB model. I’ll eventually return to the iPhone XS max, but there aren’t any Plus-sized optimizations, therefore, it’s tough for me to personally justify such a giant device without something special.

5. ONEPLUS 6T

OnePlus launched the new OnePlus 6T at the tip of October and for the primary time ever it launched on us wireless carrier.

OnePlus earns a top-five spot on my list thanks to the high-end specifications, an affordable value that’s hundreds less than alternative flagships, very responsive performance, and use of latest technology.

If I had a reasonable smartphones list, then the OnePlus 6T would be favorite with prices starting from $549 to $629. the lowest price one still has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage whereas the $629 model has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. you’ll not notice another phone with these great specs for these costs.

The OnePlus 6T consists of 2 pieces of Gorilla Glass 6 with a metal frame. No other phone out there today uses Gorilla Glass 6. the look is elegant and also the build quality is great. it has a stunning AMOLED 6.41 inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, dual rear cameras (they are a touch underutilized compared to the high-end flagships), ample RAM and internal storage choices, some level of dust and water resistance, a large 3700 mAh battery and quick charge capability, with wonderful radio support for GSM networks.

The display contains a very tiny notch, like what we saw on the Essential Phone, and additionally runs the latest version of OxygenOS with very responsive software experience. you can even modify an all-touch interface, the same as the iPhone X. The on-screen fingerprint sensor works well whereas the face unlocks option is handy for fewer secure daily unlocking of your phone.

6. HUAWEI P20 PRO

While United States of America customers will need to resort to eBay to choose one up, the Huawei P20 Pro remains one of the most exciting smartphones of 2018, even with its new full cousin simply launching in the kind of the Mate 20 pro.

The distinctive triple camera design with 68 megapixels worth of shooting power should assist you to take some fantastic shots with a low light mode that beats out all the other smartphones out there these days.

Huawei has been including huge capacity batteries in its flagships and also the P20 pro isn’t an exception with 4,000 mAh that’s guaranteed to get you through a minimum of one full, busy day. it has a large 6.1 inch OLED with a notch you’ll be able to show or hide, a powerful Kirin 970 processor with integrated AI, IP67 dust and water resistance, and more.

Huawei’s EMUI has come to a long method and also the home screen now features a standard Google feed on one panel with an interface that’s near to stock. when Huawei does offer software system and settings beyond stock android, those serve to boost the device rather than clutter it up and slow it down. The P20 pro flies through each action and is a sheer joy to use.

7. APPLE IPHONE XR

This year Apple declared 3 new smartphones with one releasing a month after the other 2. I traded in the iPhone XS max for an iPhone XR and overall I’m quite pleased with the device and saving $350 over the iPhone XS max.

The Apple iPhone XR differs from the XS/XS max with a LED screen rather than OLED, lower resolution, no 3D touch support (does anyone even care regarding this?), one rear camera, and a 6.1-inch display that fits in between these other 2 new smartphones. it has the same Apple A12 Bionic processor, same camera software and hardware as the 12MP prime camera, and other enhanced Apple features like face unlock. The iPhone XR features a larger capacity battery than the iPhone XS and a reported battery life larger than the XS and XS max.

You can purchase the iPhone XR in black, white, blue, yellow, coral, and product Red. The iPhone XR starts at $749, which is $250 less than the 64GB iPhone XS. there’s additionally a 128GB model for just $799, which is probably going the most effective deal for the iPhone XR with the iPhone XS 256GB at a whopping $1,149.

The cellular reception of the iPhone XR is a bit worse in weak signal areas than the iPhone X models, but iPhones haven’t been able to match the cellular reception quality seen in Android smartphones. The battery life of the iPhone XR is amazing and also the camera does a good job. for several folks, it’s probably one of the simplest iPhones you’ll buy today and is more affordable than the new XS and XS max.

8. LG V40 THINQ

LG continues to release nice smartphones that appreciate over time and in a jammed flagship market, the LG V40 may have a tricky time finding its place also.

While Huawei was one of the primary major brands to launch a phone with 3 rear cameras, LG bumped that up by announcing a phone with five total cameras. 3 are found on the rear and 2 are on the front.

LG has continuously stood aside from the others with its second rear camera having a real wide-angle lens for excellent landscape and huge room photography. The new LG V40 keeps the wide-angle camera while additionally adding a telephoto lens to the standard lens option thus you’ll do exactly regarding anything you would like, including snapping once to take 3 photos, with this new flagship phone.

Like the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, the LG V40 ThinQ has everything but the sink included. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack with Quad-DAC support, triple rear camera setup, dual front-facing camera, wireless charging, IP68 rating, MIL-STD 810G shock resistant rating, microSD expansion card for inexpensive unlimited storage expansion, a screen that extends nearly the complete front with a notch, and unbelievable audio support with its Boombox loudspeaker system. The 3,300 mAh battery won’t get you as far as the top 5 smartphones in this list and is one space that keeps me from using it daily over the long run.

9. SONY XPERIA XZ3

Sony is back on the ten best lists with its best smartphone in years in the form of the Xperia XZ3. I have been using one for a couple of weeks and although I am not happy with the fingerprint scanner placement it continues to be a compelling smartphone.

A single 19-megapixel camera is found on the rear with a 13-megapixel shooter on the front. The Sony Xperia XZ3 is out there now for $899.99 from Amazon and Best buy in black, forest green, and white silver.

10. SAMSUNG GALAXY S9/S9 PLUS

Samsung launched the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus earlier this year. It’s an evolution in the Galaxy S line, but one that leads as close to perfection as you’ll expect for a smartphone nowadays.

Samsung’s infinity display continues to impress and earns a close to perfect score like other Samsung displays on the latest Samsung, Apple, and Google smartphones. there’s 6GB of RAM, the fastest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 mobile processor, a rear dual aperture camera, another one with super slow motion support (S9 plus only), the ability to feature inexpensive microSD cards, improved Bixby assistant and a hardware button dedicated to its use, Samsung Pay payment technology, wireless and fast charging, IP68 dust and water resistance, a USB Type-C normal port, and traditional 3.5mm headset jack. It additionally launches with android 8.0 Oreo. there’s nothing missing from the Galaxy S9 plus and it still deserves respect many months later.

One of the things that stands out on Samsung smartphones is RF performance so if you reside in a region with a weak cellular signal then you might move the S9/S9 plus up further in your list of best smartphones.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 plus are out there at prices starting at $720 (S9) and $840 (S9 Plus). T-Mobile and Samsung have the best prices with alternative carriers adding extra premiums on top of the MSRP. If you purchase an unlocked one from Samsung it’ll not contain carrier bloatware and is priced less than most US carriers too.

Samsung is getting down to roll out its newest software experience for beta testing on the Galaxy S9/S9 plus thus stay tuned for more on this update.